Ghastly's Task
by kaletra7
Summary: After Mortal Coil, Ghastly knows what he must do. He has to find her. Ghanith. Rated for language and maybe some grown-up talk in later chapters. Written before Death Bringer, so small details may not tie in.
1. Discovery

**Quick warning: In case you missed the other warning, this contains major Mortal Coil spoilers. If you still haven't read it, be warned. **

**And I used the word 'warn' an awful lot of times there. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer – Tanith Low, Ghastly Bespoke, Billy-Ray Sanguine and the Remnants all belong to the golden god, Derek Landy. And he knows where you live.**

He knew it would come to this.

And he knew he could do nothing.

Ever since his search for her began, he knew he would have to fight her. All along, he had hoped he wouldn't, but something inside him said that it had to happen, one way or another. Skulduggery had gently told him their search was futile; she was already lost. Somewhere, deep within the inner-workings of his mind, Ghastly knew he was right. Although his heart still thought otherwise.

His search had lasted months. Every rumoured sighting of her turned out to be either a practical joke, a mistake, or else true evidence that was impossible to track. There were a couple of people that he genuinely believed had seen her; one said she was trying on a pair of leather boots in a small London shop, another that she bought a strong tea with three sugars from a street vendor. He knew these people had encountered her, simply because he knew Tanith Low well enough.

And each time she had been seen, the eyewitness said that she left arm-in-arm with a tall man – blonde, sunglasses, cowboy boots. Walked with a slight limp and looked to be chewing something between shiny white teeth.

Finally, after all this time, she stood in front of him. The same blonde curls, same beautiful features.

Same breathtaking eyes.

Even through the black veins that spread across her tanned flesh, he could still sense the old Tanith. She was there, somewhere, even if there wasn't much of her left.

The first blow hit him in the chest, and he staggered backwards with the force. He couldn't fight back, not without risk of injuring her. She hit him again, this time a right hook beneath his chin, followed by a shattering heel to the knee. If he hadn't twisted sideways just in time, he was sure that kick would have splintered bone.

They fought on; Tanith trying to cause pain, and Ghastly simply blocking and dodging; never even considering an offensive. Eventually, she stepped back and pulled her hair from her face with a lazy hand, offering him a malevolent smirk.

'You're a fool, Ghastly Bespoke,' she spat. 'Trying to be a hero. Trying to rescue me. Don't you understand that I don't need to be rescued? I love being this way, being Tanith Low.'

'Liar!' Ghastly didn't realise the volume of his voice until after he'd shouted. Forcing himself to remain calm, he continued. 'You're not Tanith Low.'

The Remnant tilted its head. 'And yet you refuse to hurt me.'

'I refuse to hurt the body you are using.'

'I am not just using a body at all. I _am _Tanith. I know every thought, every dream, every memory that Tanith knows, because I am one with her.'

'You're a Remnant. The same Remnant that inhabited Finbar Wrong, Kenspeckle Grouse and Tesseract.'

'But you can no longer remove me from this body. We are one!'

Ghastly raised his eyes. 'That may be so, but we can at least try.'

Before the last word died from his lips, Ghastly had launched himself forwards and gripped the woman's neck. He squeezed the pressure point at her collarbone and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Not wasting a moment, he looped the magic-dampening cuffs around her limp wrists and lifted her from the ground carefully. Unconscious, without the veins marring her skin, he could at least pretend that he was holding Tanith in his arms, instead of her empty shell. Grappling his phone from his pocket, he dialled Skulduggery's number. The skeleton answered after two tones.

'I've got her,' was all Ghastly said.

There was a long pause, and then: 'Where?'

**And there you have it. I've decided, this will definitely be continued. If you have an ounce of good in your heart, please take the time to review. You don't even have to be a member of – anonymous reviews are enabled.**

**Thank you!**

**-Kate-**


	2. Reactions

**Alright, I think I may actually be sticking with this one. Whoopee for you!**

**Anyway, I wanted to say thank you for the lovely reviews to the opening chapter. To be honest, I wasn't expecting a reaction quite as warm. To any reviewers I couldn't reply to...**

**Blaze Repose: Oh my God, thank you! I don't think I've ever had a review quite that complementary before! Of course I don't want you to die, which is why I'm updating this now. Once again, thank you! I hope you like the next chapter :)**

Skulduggery Pleasant drove alone. It was a chilly morning in Haggard, and although the cold didn't bother him, the ice over the roads meant he had to concentrate harder than he would normally. Not that he would ever crash, oh no, he was far too amazing for that. But he was still aware of the few other drivers he passed sliding slightly as they travelled the treacherous roads.

The time was six thirty-three, and the date was November 23rd. Skulduggery was a mere five minutes from Valkyrie's house. She was expecting him, as she was every morning.

His phone began to blare out a tune, and he cursed, arching his back so he could dip his hand in his pocket and retrieve said phone. He plucked it out quickly and held it to his skull. Before he could greet the caller, Ghastly's voice spoke out.

'I've got her.'

Skulduggery nearly swerved the car in his shock. After a moment, he realised Ghastly was waiting for a response.

'Where?'

'The corner of Greybank and Rosemount. I'm heading for the shop now. I'll meet you there.'

The line went dead and Skulduggery threw his phone onto the passenger seat. He would need it again in a second or two. Grasping the steering wheel with both hands, he jarred it sideways and the entire Bentley swung round to face the other way. Feeling slightly proud of the achievement of completing that manoeuvre without crashing (not that he would ever crash), Skulduggery raced back towards the city. After a moment, he reached for his phone again and clicked Valkyrie's number on his speed dial.

'Skulduggery?' she answered.

'Indeed. I'm afraid I can't be there to pick you up.'

'What?' Skulduggery could hear the indignation in her voice. 'Why not?'

'Because Ghastly found Tanith. Call Fletcher, get him to take you to Ghastly's shop. He should be there soon, if not already. Get him to wait for me there, even if he wants to go straight to Ravel.'

There was silence at Valkyrie's end, and then she spoke quietly. 'Is she okay?'

'If you mean is she still possessed by the Remnant, then Ghastly didn't say. Although you know that it is bonded to her.'

'I'll see you there, Skul.'

Skulduggery hung up, throwing the phone once again to the seat by his side. He returned both hands to the steering wheel and pressed slightly harder on the accelerator.

Even though he knew it could not ever happen, there was still a part of him that hoped, even _prayed _that the old Tanith could still be returned. For Ghastly's sake, at least, for Skulduggery knew that although tough on the outside, Ghastly's soul was delicate, and the loss of Tanith could hit him harder than anyone else.

As soon as Skulduggery hung up, Valkyrie was dialling Fletcher's number. The phone rang for what seemed like an eternity before her boyfriend's voice growled angrily down the phone.

'This had better be good, Val. It's not even ten yet.'

'Ghastly has Tanith.'

She heard Fletcher rise from his bed and click the phone to loudspeaker. His voice came through again, but from further away.

'Where do you want me?' he asked softly. She heard him fiddling with the buckle of his jeans, fastening it.

'Pick me up, and then we're both going to Ghastly's. Skulduggery says we need to stop him going straight to Ravel.'

There was a short rustling as Fletcher pulled his t-shirt over his head, and then he spoke again. 'I'll be there in ten seconds.'

Valkyrie hung up and flung her phone onto her bed. She padded over to the windowsill and sat on it. Her reflection had already left with her parents on an early drive to the airport; they were on a long weekend to the villa in France, and Valkyrie had originally felt a slight pang of jealousy. Now, however, she was glad she could be here.

Maybe Tanith wasn't ever going to be herself again, but Valkyrie knew that if anyone would find an answer, it would be Ghastly Bespoke. He had only recently revealed the way he felt about her, but she had her suspicions long before that. And for her to be taken away from him that soon after he...

She just couldn't imagine how she would feel if she were Ghastly and Fletcher were Tanith.

True to his word, Fletcher appeared in the centre of her room, his back to her. Valkyrie noticed he hadn't even bothered to style his hair to perfection; it was still its gravity-defying self, but there were strands out of place, like he had slept on the spikes and not touched them since.

Valkyrie was astounded how much that meant to her.

He turned, and the look of confusion on his face lifted. 'Ah, there you are. Ready to go?'

She didn't answer, instead staring down at the floor. After a moment, she saw his trainers appear in her eyeline. He sat beside her, and his strong arms enveloped her in a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder.

'Fletch?'

'I'm here.'

'What if we don't get her back?'

Fletcher pulled her tighter to him and she clung to his shirt. After a moment, he lifted her chin and kissed her lightly, before standing up. He took her hand and held it to his heart, and they teleported.

**Just a few little reactions to the news.**

**Review? You know you want to.**

**-Kate-**


	3. Disagreement

The moment Ghastly Bespoke reached the door of his shop, he already knew someone was in there. As if tuned to his thoughts, a mere second later the door swung open and the panicked face of Valkyrie Cain stared out at him. Her eyes wasted no time on him, but instead flew to the limp body of Tanith Low in his arms. Instantly, she stepped back and pulled the door to its full width. He entered and immediately carried Tanith into the back room, laying her on the sofa. Valkyrie and Fletcher followed.

Ghastly took a moment to tenderly brush a strand of gold from her face, and then turned his attention to the teenagers in front of him.

'We need to get her straight to the Sanctuary. The Grand Mage needs to know of this straight away. I need all his best medical staff on this immediately.'

'Urm, Ghastly,' Valkyrie began, her hands deep within her pockets. She didn't know why, but his panic was making her uncomfortable. It was an unusual feeling for her, and one she hoped she wouldn't have to get used to. 'Skulduggery said that you should wait until he arrived before you take her anywhere.'

Ghastly's face fell. 'Valkyrie, you don't understand. Every second that thing is in there, we are losing more of _her_.'

'Please. Wait for Skulduggery.' Valkyrie felt awful. She could sense his desperation, his _need _to leap into action. An agonising moment passed, and Valkyrie felt Fletcher take her hand in a supportive gesture. Finally, Ghastly visibly sagged, but he turned back to Tanith and sat carefully down beside her sleeping form. The cuffs around her wrists were a touch that none of them wanted to see, but all three knew perfectly well that they were necessary; if the Remnant woke up, then the handcuffs would dampen her powers and keep her under their control.

Unable to take this any more, Valkyrie spun on a heel and walked into Fletcher's arms. He held her tightly, and neither of them even gave a second thought to the effect their romantic gesture had on the broken man before them.

XXXX

Skulduggery's Bentley raced through the streets of the city. Now that he was no longer on dangerous country lanes, he could drive with more haste. He only hoped that Ghastly had taken note of Valkyrie's message, and not already gone to the Sanctuary.

After an eternity of reckless driving and silent apologies to his fellow road users, Skulduggery Pleasant reached Ghastly's shop. Leaping from the Bentley and jamming the lock button on the key, he sprinted inside the shop and straight to the back room. Valkyrie and Fletcher were settled together in an armchair, her legs over the arm and her head on the other, lying over his lap. Fletcher, for his part, looked like he was about to fall asleep, but as Skulduggery entered his head jerked upwards and he joined Valkyrie in staring at the detective.

Skulduggery, on the other hand, paid them no heed save for a rapid greeting. Stepping up to his long-time best friend, the skeleton detective laid a hand on his shoulder.

'What do you suggest we do?' Ghastly's voice was hard, and his tone startled Skulduggery slightly. Noting the skeleton's silence, he pressed on. 'You seem to be so intent on wasting time, so you must have a plan to go with it. Come on, enlighten us.'

'Ghastly, that's hardly a fair assumption.'

'And it's fair to keep her here, without any form of assistance?'

'I am merely trying to stop you from doing anything rash.'

'Trying to save Tanith Low's soul is rash now, is it?'

Skulduggery sighed. 'Of course it isn't.'

Ghastly raised his head and looked Skulduggery in the skull. The detective was stunned into silence by the tears in the normally tough man's eyes.

'Then why are we still here?'

Skulduggery ignored him for a second, instead turning his attention on the teenagers in the armchair. 'Valkyrie, Fletcher, get out.'

Valkyrie leapt to her feet, anger all over her face. 'Why should we?' she almost yelled. 'I hate being treated like a child, Skulduggery. She's my best friend and I deserve to have a say in what happens to her.'

Fletcher stood to her side. 'And she's my...' all eyes fell upon him. '...friend,' he finished lamely. '...But I have a right to input too. Besides, you need me.'

Skulduggery tilted his head. 'I'm not asking you to relinquish all input in this matter. I am merely asking you to give me a few moments alone with my good friend Ghastly.'

Defeated, Cain and Renn stepped out of the room, into the main part of the shop. Moments later, the bell over the door clanged and the building fell into silence.

'Ghastly, you do realise there is next to no chance that the Remnant can be removed from her, don't you? And there's even less of a chance that it can be removed without causing her permanent harm. Perhaps if we still had Kenspeckle...'

'Don't,' the tailor warned, standing suddenly. 'There has to be a way to get that _thing _out of her.'

Skulduggery moved a gloved hand to steady his friend's shaking shoulders. 'Ghastly, all I am trying to do is make sure you are aware of the facts.'

Ghastly shrugged his arm away, and while there was no aggression in the gesture, Skulduggery still winced. Or he would have, if he was capable of such a feat.

'What facts?' he spat. 'The fact that I confessed how I feel about a woman on the same day that I lost her forever? The fact that I had to hear about Sanguine, and the fact that he's probably defiled her by now? The fact that now I have her back, there's a chance she could die if I tried to help her?'

'I doubt she would let Sanguine do that.'

'You heard those rumours. Maybe physically, no. But mentally, inside... if there's a chance he... _did that _to her, I know the real Tanith, _our _Tanith, was aware of the whole thing. It's sickening.'

Ghastly's voice trailed away, and instead he paced over to the mantelpiece. Skulduggery tilted his head.

'Billy-Ray Sanguine, despite everything, still has a shred of honour within him, Ghastly. Calm down and rest until you start thinking rationally.'

The tailor rounded furiously on the skeleton, tears stinging his eyes. 'And who are _you_, to tell me what to do, Skulduggery?'

For once, Skulduggery Pleasant had nothing to say. Instead, he turned to Tanith's unconscious form, gently spread across the ocean blue sofa. While in this state, one could almost forget that this was not really the Tanith they wished it could be. There were no uncharacteristic sneers, no black lips, no bulging, ebony veins. Tanith Low could have simply fallen asleep.

Finally, he spoke again. 'We take her to the Sanctuary. Get their medical team on this immediately. But you have to be prepared for the risk.'

There was silence for a minute or two, but then Ghastly Bespoke answered.

'I am.'

XXXX

**Mmmm, this is becoming a little bit dark, isn't it?**

**A small reminder, defending the uncharacteristic portrayal of one Bespoke. Don't forget, for instance, that this is a man who has never been loved by a woman (probably...), and has lost everything he cares about. He isn't thinking clearly, and Skulduggery has informed him that an extraction process could kill Tanith.**

**And as for Sanguine. What I am referencing is not rape, it is the fact that if Billy-Ray and RemTan had chosen to consummate their relationship, any part of Tanith that was left would have to endure it. That's what Ghastly is worried about.**

**Review, I beg of you!**


	4. Ravel

**I would like to apologise for any extreme oddness in this chapter. I couldn't quite figure out how to bring Ravel in, so I settled for a simple idea.**

**Also, I'm listening to a really odd song while I write this, so... yes.**

XXXX

Erskine Ravel was deeply submerged in his own thoughts. He had yet to make the office his own; it was still the collection of old books and artefacts that it had been during the short office of Corrival Deuce. Tales of the war filled every bookshelf, a small number of scrolls rested on stands, but the piece de resistance lay across the front of the thick oak desk; an elaborately decorated sword that gleamed as the light shone on it. Ravel intended to redecorate the place to his own liking as soon as he had the free time, but he would keep the sword. An honour to Corrival's name.

However, he would like to move it to somewhere other than the middle of his desk.

Sighing, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk and his head in his hands. It had been three months since he was elected Grand Mage, and he was surprised he hadn't already been voted out. He missed his freedom; the feeling of being able to do what he pleased, and go where he wanted. People watched his every move now, and there was rarely a moment he had to himself. There was always someone that wanted to speak with him.

'Grand Mage?'

Like now.

Ravel raised his head and looked the young man that stood before him.

'Anthony. What is it?'

'I'm sorry to disturb you, Grade Mage, but Elder Bespoke wishes to see you. He says it's a matter of life and death.'

Ravel rose immediately from his seat and crossed the room, passing his assistant in the doorway and heading towards the meeting room. Privately, he hoped this wasn't another request for precious resources to attempt to find Tanith Low. He, of course, had no problem with Ghastly searching for the woman, but another beg to neglect his duties might just send Ravel over the edge.

'Erskine!' came an urgent shout from behind him. He turned on a heel to see Bespoke himself standing at the end of the corridor. They strode to each other and met halfway, Ghastly at least a head taller than the Grand Mage, but still dipping his head in respect.

'Ghastly,' Ravel almost laughed. 'We're friends, there's no need to treat me like a superior.'

'Erskine, with all due respect, there's no time. We have Tanith.'

Ravel's face paled. 'And you're letting me stand and chat? Lead the way.'

Both men turned and strode through the Sanctuary. If the fact that they were two thirds of the Elder Council wasn't enough to make people step out of their path, the looks of raging determination on their faces would. As they walked, Ghastly spoke.

'We took her straight to the medical bay and strapped her down. She could wake up any moment, and I don't want to lose her again because of a forgotten precaution.'

'Excellent. Make no mistake, the best medical staff we have will be on this immediately. I imagine Skulduggery has already told you of the risks?'

'Of course,' Ghastly responded stiffly.

Ravel nodded. 'I presumed so. And you're prepared to let us try?'

'I want her back, Erskine.'

'Very well.'

XXXX

**I'm ending it there for now, frankly because I wanted to give you guys another chapter before I go completely lacking in any creative inspiration. I'm sorry it's so short.**

**-Kate-**


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